Drinkable rivers: Reconnecting with our waters
Have you ever thought about drinking directly from the Amstel? In Holland, we are surrounded by lakes, canals, and rivers. Everywhere I lived in Amsterdam, a body of water was always close by. Whether swimming leisurely in the Sloterplas or briefly dipping into the IJ, Wim Hof-style, it never occurred to me to drink from it. Why is that?
In Paris, the 2024 Olympics brought attention to the Seine, which underwent significant clean-up efforts to make it swimmable. While the river still isn’t perfectly clean, this initiative sparked a broader collective awareness about the importance of water quality. It was almost absurd - why would anyone swim in the Seine, let alone drink from it? We’ve become so disconnected from nature that such a simple act now seems foolish.
The Initiative
Li An Phoa’s personal experience with rivers has shaped her mission. In 2005, while canoeing along the pristine Rupert River in Canada, she drank straight from its waters. Fast-forward a few years and that same river was no longer drinkable - it was now polluted and its ecosystem destabilized by human activity. This unsettling experience inspired the creation of Drinkable Rivers, an organization with a simple yet profound goal: a world where rivers are drinkable again, where the entire watershed and its inhabitants - from humans to fish - are thriving.
By restoring and preserving our water, we might rediscover the true wealth of our planet
For Li An, Sophie, Margriet and the team behind the organization, drinkable rivers could serve as a powerful indicator of both environmental health and societal well-being. They want to challenge us to shift our focus from economic growth to ecological harmony and balance. By restoring and preserving our water, we might rediscover the true wealth of our planet.
If we were to adopt drinkable rivers as a ‘guiding principle for society’, every action - whether an economic decision, political policy, or technological innovation - would be assessed by its impact on the health of our watersheds.
A Global Movement for Change: Walking the Talk
One of the ways Drinkable Rivers spreads its message is through River Walks, inviting communities to connect with their local rivers by walking along their banks. These walks aim to raise awareness and foster a sense of responsibility. The organization wants to engage people emotionally and physically. By directly experiencing the river, and learning about the peculiarities of its banks and its flora and fauna, participants are encouraged to care for it. Meaningful action can only come from sincere attention. Recently, they’ve walked along the Danube in Romania, and in the past, they’ve traversed routes from the source of the Berkel in Germany to the mouth of the IJssel in Zutphen (May-June 2023), from the source of the Vechte in Germany to Zwolle (June), and along the Thames (September-October), among others.
Through its Citizen Science program, Drinkable Rivers also empowers individuals to monitor the health of their local waterways. It tracks variables that measure water quality daily to monitor environmental remediation in specific areas. This ambitious project now spans 22 countries, with local organizations contributing and sharing valuable data to track global progress across the world. By participating in this network, communities are empowered to take action and transformed into local protectors and advocates. Local hubs provide tools to help communities take specific actions and work together on concrete steps towards healthier rivers.
Some examples: in April 2023, Youth for Drinkable Rivers walked from the Dommel’s source in Belgium to where it meets the Meuse in Den Bosch. At the governmental level, the Mayors for a Drinkable Meuse initiative has brought together leaders from France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. 3 cities have thus committed to improving the water quality of the Meuse River and working towards the long-term vision of a drinkable river. Their network continues to grow as more municipalities join the cause.
Looking to the future
Drinkable Rivers has several exciting projects in the works. The Drinkbare IJssel initiative is one such project, where a coalition of organizations in the IJssel watershed are working together to make the river drinkable within the next 30 years. Over 20 organizations, from local governments to cultural institutions, have signed on to support this goal.
One day, drinkable rivers may be recognized as our shared lifeline. For now, the Drinkable Rivers initiative is part of a broader shift in how we relate to nature. Imagine a future where rivers are clean enough to drink from, and where human activities actively contribute to the flourishing of all life...